A Pup Named Scooby-Doo
:This article is about the TV series. For other uses, see A Pup Named Scooby-Doo (disambiguation). | finale date= August 17, 1991 | final= | running time= 23 minutes | seasons= 4 | episodes= 27 (5 segments) | previous series= The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo | next series= What's New, Scooby-Doo? | cast= Don Messick Casey Kasem Kellie Martin Carl Steven Christina Lange | theme song composers= John Debney | opening and closing theme= "A Pup Named Scooby-Doo" | production company= Hanna-Barbera | created by= Based on characters created by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears | developed by= Tom Ruegger | producers= Tom Ruegger (season 1) William Hanna (executive producer) Joseph Barbera (executive producer) | directors= Oscar Dufau Art Davis Paul Sommer Bob Goe Don Lusk | writers= Tom Ruegger (season 1) Bill Matheny Lane Raichert Laren Bright | casting= Andrea Romano | voice director= Gordon Hunt | original network= ABC | distributors= Taft Broadcasting }} A Pup Named Scooby-Doo is the eighth incarnation of the long-running Hanna-Barbera Saturday morning cartoon Scooby-Doo. This spin-off/prequel of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! was created by Tom Ruegger, and premiered on September 10, 1988; running for four seasons on ABC as a half-hour program. Thirty episodes were ultimately produced. After the series ended, there would be no more new Scooby-Doo shows for eleven years, until 2002, when What's New, Scooby-Doo? revitalized the franchise. This would also be Don Messick's final Scooby-Doo show before his retirement and eventual death. When ABC commissioned Hanna-Barbera to produce The Pirates of Dark Water, it effectively canceled A Pup Named Scooby-Doo, as ABC was unable or unwilling to pay for both shows. Overview Jenny Trias hired Tom Ruegger, who was considered the "Scooby guy", to develop a new series for ABC Saturday mornings. This new show also used the same basic formula as the original 1969 show: the gang (referred to in this show as the "Scooby-Doo Detective Agency"), solved supernatural-based mysteries, where the villains were always revealed as bad guys in masks and costumes. The biggest difference was the tone of the show: with this series, producer Ruegger built upon the slightly irreverent humor he had established along with producer Mitch Schauer with Scooby's previous incarnation, The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. This resulted in a wackier, more extremely comic version of Scooby-Doo: it was not uncommon for the characters to do wild Tex Avery-esque takes when they ran into ghosts, and shots of the characters (and even the monsters), dancing were inserted into the obligatory rock-music-scored chase sequences. The monsters themselves were also more comedic, such as a creature made out of molten cheese and headless skateboarder. The characters themselves were general parodies of their "grown-up" incarnations: Freddy was portrayed as a tabloid-loving conspiracy with little leadership skill who constantly blamed a character appropriately called Red Herring, Daphne as a vain, rich girl who did not believe in ghosts, and Velma as a generally silent cute child prodigy who spoke mostly to point out clues and solve the case. Shaggy's and Scooby's characters remained relatively intact (perhaps due to the fact they were already very exaggerated to begin with). Although the Scooby Snacks were played up, being so delicious that one could make him explode like a rocket, inspired by the reactions Snuffles and Muttley gave in similar scenarios in The Quick Draw McGraw Show and Dastardly and Muttley in Their Flying Machines, respectively. Rock and roll styled songs (specifically about the monster-of-the-week) were played during the chase scene in each episode, similar to the second-season episodes of Scooby-Doo, Where Are You! The show's theme song featured lyrics by series creator, Tom Ruegger, and music by composer, John Debney. Although Ruegger had warmed up to the version of Scrappy-Doo he had worked with in the few years before Pup, he was ultimately never that thrilled about him and believed doing Pup would be a chance to redo the franchise without him. The show premiered on September 10, 1988, and lasted until August 31, 1991 on ABC. A Pup Named Scooby-Doo was the first Scooby series to be re-run on the Cartoon Network, in 1993. The show remained in re-runs on Cartoon Network through c. 2009. Episodes Cast * Casey Kasem as Shaggy Rogers * Don Messick as Scooby-Doo * Christina Lange as Velma Dinkley * Kellie Martin as Daphne Blake * Carl Steven as Freddie Jones Supporting * Scott Menville as Red Herring DVD releases Volume releases Warner Home Video released all 30 episodes of the show on DVD in seven volume sets from July 19, 2005 to August 14, 2007. The first five contained four episodes each, the last two contained five each. On April 13, 2010, Warner Home Video packaged together the first three volumes. On September 27, 2011, Warner Home Video packaged the first four volumes together as 4 Kids Favorites, it was re-issed and repacked on January 17, 2012 under the same title with a different cover. Complete seasons In 2008 and 2009 the series was re-released onto two separate DVD sets. Notes/trivia * Following the show's first season, much of Hanna-Barbera's production staff, including Tom Ruegger, left the studio, and helped to revive the Warner Bros. cartoon department, beginning with Tiny Toon Adventures. * This is the only animated production, until the 2020 theatrical animated film, in which Fred Jones was not voiced by Frank Welker. However, he did make a guest appearance as the voice of Fred's uncle, publisher of the National Exaggerator. * This was the last series to feature Don Messick as the voice of Scooby-Doo before his retirement and passing. Though, prior to his death, he would voice him in the 1994 TV feature, Arabian Nights, and the 1996 video game, Scooby-Doo Mystery for the SNES. * In this series they are not called Mystery Inc. (a name not officially established in animated production until a few years later), but called the Scooby-Doo Detective Agency (a name borrowed from The New Scooby-Doo Mysteries). They also get paid a small fee for their services. * Ghost Who's Coming to Dinner and The Spirit of Rock'n Roll are the only episodes in which Freddy does not accuse Red Herring of being the monster. * A puppet movie based on this series was released in 2013. * This series was referenced in Scooby-Doo! Team-Up comic story . * Other than establishing Scooby as still being just a puppy and the human members of the gang being "pre-teens" (meaning that they aren't thirteen yet), it's never stated just how old the gang is. In the case of the human members, since they aren't thirteen yet and they're also established as being middle school students, they're probably either 11 or 12. ** Based on that, it's also never said how old Shaggy's sister, Sugie, is, as she's only ever referred to as being a baby. However, given that Sugie's old enough to talk (and has a rather large vocabulary for a baby), she must be at least a year old. And to go further off of that, if Shaggy's 11 or 12, he must be at least 10 or 11 years older than his sister. Running gags * Daphne calling for her servant Jenkins to do something for her. She would say "JENKINS", and Jenkins would instantly arrive wherever she is, answering, "Yes, Ms. Blake", and when he's done, Daphne would say "That will be all Jenkins", and Jenkins would again say "Yes, Ms. Blake", and exit the scene. * Daphne does not like to get dirty. * Fred's crazy stories about Mole Men, Mud Men, Bigfoot, etc. * Someone saying words or phrases which Scooby repeated with an "R" sound, the same person would say "No", and then repeat themselves. * Red Herring would attempt to bully, belittle, or otherwise put down Scooby and the gang, and his attempts would often backfire and he would end up making himself look ridiculous, prompting the others to laugh at him, to which he would say "That's not very funny." * Fred accusing Red Herring of being the villain, often prompting Red to appear and assert that he didn't do anything. * When scared by a monster, Scooby and the gang react with eyes growing huge and/or popping out, jaws dropping, and other overly cartoonish actions. * The gang will get cornered while the monster slowly approaches, transitioning into a fade to black just as the music climaxes. * Breaking the fourth wall in various ways throughout the series. * Fred questioning certain people and that person would cartoonishly yell out their answer at him. However, in one episode, Fred does the yelling, claiming that he "doesn't get to do that often". * Whenever Velma says "Jinkies", someone would say "Velma said Jinkies, it must be a clue." If it was her first spoken line in the episode, they would say "Velma spoke!" before it, referencing her quietude. On some occasions, Velma's reaction is for other reasons, and on one occasion, no one reacted to her saying "Jinkies," so she had to repeat, "Jinkies", but the gang only reacts when she shouts through a megaphone: "I SAID JINKIES!" * When Shaggy and Scooby are suspects, or when Velma was framed, they would go to the scene of the crime in disguise, and Fred would buy the disguise, in the former's case, asking if they really want a lady and her baby with them, and Daphne would have to remind Fred who the disguised person really is. * The villain saying, "and I would have gotten away with it too, if it hadn't been for you pesky kids and that puppy." Occasionally, the villain would only say "...if it weren't for you pesky kids." and Scooby would then remind the villain to mention him. * Scooby laughing at a joke only to stop and say "I don't get it." Occasionally, he makes a joke at Shaggy, inciting the same reaction. At one point, Daphne made a joke at both of them, with the same results. * Shaggy and Scooby being afraid of a monster and Daphne saying "There are no such thing as fictional monster", sometimes accompanied by her parents, who share her beliefs. * A news bumper saying "We interrupt A Pup Named Scooby-Doo for this special announcement" (in a style similar to the News Flash bumpers of Sesame Street) that would have the newscaster reporting on a minor thing that happened in the episode or that one of the running gags is about to occur, the newscaster would conclude the bumper with a casual "Thank you." * Before the obligatory chase sequence with the monster, one of the Scooby-Doo Detective Agency members would often halt the action (often interrupting the monster) so as to turn on the appropriate chase music from a convenient source (such as carrying a stereo in Velma's briefcase). * During the musical chase sequences, the gang, and even the monster would stop running long enough to dance for a bit before continuing. * While the gang is checking out an empty building, Daphne will scream "Ah!" When the others ask her what's wrong, she will complain that she got a stain on her clothes, that the place is dusty, etc., always making them roll their eyes in annoyance. * The gang disguising themselves and performing a comedic skit, eventually confusing the monster in an attempt to catch it. * Many instances where Scooby, and sometimes other characters, would not do anything without one or more Scooby Snacks (sometimes spelled Scooby Snax). * Scooby Snacks coming in ridiculous flavors such as pizza and marshmallows * After eating a Scooby Snack, Scooby would hug himself and then turn into a rocket and blast off. He would then float lazily down into Shaggy's arms and declare "Rokay, I'm ready." * Shaggy and Scooby eating ridiculous combos of food such as peanut butter and hot dog sandwiches. * Velma would sometimes have an elongated skateboard big enough to fit the gang. It also had a motor and tiller on it, which she would pilot. She always wore a red helmet and had her teeth bared whenever driving. * Velma keeping a computer in her briefcase with which she used to review the clues. Occasionally, other items such as a science lab would be stored in it. * The plans involving the characters, mostly Shaggy and Scooby, disguising themselves as workers of a business relevant to the scene, which temporarily confuses the monster. * The chases interrupted by something random, even stopping the monster from grabbing the gang. * Scooby's nose is removable and his tail can turn itself into an arrow and do various other things. References External links * TBA * Category:Television series